However, two years later, they backtracked from the original agreement and announced a toll would be put in place.

Neil, 45, said: "The previous government should be held to account and made to explain why they went back on their promise.

"The Dartford Crossing is a bit of a cash cow, even though the removal of the toll booths helped the flow of traffic, the tolling system is still there."

Paul Watters, from the AA Motoring Trust, told the BBC at the time of the announcement in 2001: "It is no wonder motorists don't trust the way they are taxed and treated by governments.

"The 150,000 drivers who use the Dartford Crossing each day have a right to be outraged that they will still have to pay."

Why do we pay for the Dartford Crossing?

After negotiations with the Ministry of Transport, Kent and Essex County Councils first obtained government approval to charge tolls in 1960, before opening.

It was originally two shillings and sixpence, equivalent to 12.5p, according to Kent Live.

In a response to an Freedom of Information Request regarding the continuation of tolls in 2009, the Department for Transport said: "The original intention was to remove tolls when the costs of the bridge had been recovered.

"However, traffic levels have risen far faster than projected and an earlier study has indicated that removal of toll charges would increase traffic levels by 17 per cent on 2003 levels."

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The Dartford Tunnel Act 1967 gave Kent and Essex County Councils authority to change the tolls, and in December 1977, the toll was raised from 25p to 35p for cars, 40p to 55p for 2 axle goods vehicles, and 60p to 85p for HGVs.

By 1984, the toll for cars had risen to 60p.

At the moment it stands more than quadruple that, at £2.50, with an announcement last month that it was rising to £2 for those with Dart Charge accounts, from £1.67.

What does the Department for Transport say now?

The Department for Transport has said the debt associated with the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge was paid off in 2003 - 15 years ago.

A spokesperson said: "However, research showed that traffic levels would increase by 17 per cent if tolling was removed, this would cause excess damage to the bridge, undermining the economic benefits."

Basically, the government says that if the crossing was free, there would be more vehicles using it.

Will the crossing ever be free?

"There are no plans to cease charging," according to the Department for Transport.

"The toll is an effective means of managing traffic (55 million vehicles travel through the crossing every year) on the bridge to prevent excess damage.

"Any money made from the toll is put straight back into transport investment."

A spokesperson from Highways England said:

“More than a million people are eligible to save money on every crossing at Dartford after having signed up to the Dart Charge pre-pay account.

“With over 55 million vehicles travelling over Dartford Crossing every year, there is an ongoing need to manage increasing demand at the Crossing.

"After nine years of operating a 33 per cent discount for cars, the Department for Transport has reviewed how fairly the benefits to account holders are spread across different vehicle types and have aligned the Class B rate more closely to Classes C and D.

“From 1 October 2018 the new discounted rate for Class B vehicles at the Dartford Crossing will be £2.00, that’s a 20 per cent reduction on the standard rate. All other rates will be unaffected by this change.”

The petition for a free crossing

The petition set up by Neil reads: "Under the original agreement, once the Dartford bridge had paid for itself, the tolls were to stop.

"In 1999, the government agreed that fees would be abolished by the end of 2003, an agreement that was not honoured and has been successively reneged on.

"We ask that the tolls are removed permanently."

Neil hopes the petition will be signed by 100,000 people by February 28 next year, so it can be debated in Parliament.

When a petition reaches 10,000 signatures it will receive a written response from the government.